Hello, I’d like to clarify the technical limitations around app updates in an Apple School Manager (ASM) + MDM environment. Environment • iOS/iPadOS devices supervised and managed via Apple School Manager • Apps are distributed via ASM (VPP / Custom App) and managed by MDM • Apps are App Store–signed (not Enterprise/In-House) • Some apps include NetworkExtension (VPN) functionality • Automatic app updates are enabled in MDM Question From a technical and platform-design perspective, is it possible to: Deploy app updates for ASM/MDM-distributed App Store apps via a separate/custom update server, and trigger updates simultaneously across all managed devices, bypassing or supplementing the App Store update mechanism? In other words: • Can an organization operate its own update server to push a new app version to all devices at once? • Or is App Store + iOS always the sole execution path for installing updated app binaries? ⸻ My current understanding (please correct if wrong) Based on Apple documentation, it seems that: 1. App Store–distributed apps cannot self-update • Apps cannot download and install new binaries or replace themselves. • All executable code must be Apple-signed and installed by the system. 2. MDM can manage distribution and enable auto-update, but: • MDM cannot reliably trigger an immediate update for App Store apps. • Actual download/install timing is decided by iOS (device locked, charging, Wi-Fi, etc.). 3. Custom update servers • May be used for policy decisions (minimum allowed version, feature blocking), • But cannot be used to distribute or install updated app binaries on iOS. 4. For ASM-managed devices: • The only supported update execution path is: App Store → iOS → Managed App Update • Any “forced update” behavior must be implemented at the app logic level, not the installation level. ⸻ What I’m trying to confirm • Is there any supported MDM command, API, or mechanism that allows: • Centralized, immediate, one-shot updates of App Store apps across all ASM-managed devices? • Or is the above limitation fundamental by design, meaning: • Organizations must rely on iOS’s periodic auto-update behavior • And enforce version compliance only via app-side logic? ⸻ Why this matters In large school deployments, delayed updates (due to device conditions or OS scheduling) can cause: • Version fragmentation • Inconsistent behavior across classrooms • Operational issues for VPN / security-related apps Understanding whether this limitation is absolute or if there is a recommended Apple-supported workaround would be extremely helpful. Thanks in advance for any clarification

We've disabled FUS through a config profile, but users can still access FUS by enabling the MenuBar/Control Center icons. My org would like to prevent access to FUS so I've created a config profile. But the profile doesn't seem to work. Anyone have any ideas what I'm missing, or is this an OS bug? <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>PayloadDisplayName</key> <string>macOS - Tahoe - Disable Fast User Switching Control Center</string> <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> <string>com.myorg.fast-user-switching</string> <key>PayloadType</key> <string>Configuration</string> <key>PayloadScope</key> <string>System</string> <key>PayloadUUID</key> <string>f1a2b3c4-d5e6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890</string> <key>PayloadVersion</key> <integer>1</integer> <key>TargetDevmyorgType</key> <integer>5</integer> <key>PayloadContent</key> <array> <dict> <key>PayloadType</key> <string>com.apple.controlcenter</string> <key>PayloadVersion</key> <integer>1</integer> <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> <string>com.apple.controlcenter.57EBEF9E-E568-411E-AE27-500AD98C94F4</string> <key>PayloadUUID</key> <string>f1a2b3c4-d5e6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890</string> <key>UserSwitcher</key> <integer>8</integer> </dict> <dict> <key>PayloadType</key> <string>.GlobalPreferences</string> <key>PayloadVersion</key> <integer>1</integer> <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> <string>.GlobalPreferences.71DE1486-60BC-4CB9-890D-AD50A772890D</string> <key>PayloadUUID</key> <string>c5234012-e0sw-2066-6fl8-3bd5p8125op7</string> <key>MultipleSessionEnabled</key> false/> </dict> </array> </dict> </plist>

The Center for Innovation in Education created a reading program designed to teach every single child to read, regardless of any supposed difficulty in learning. The Center conducted a ten-year study of its Reading Program’s effectiveness. Over those ten years, the Center placed 2,048 Reading Program kits in classrooms across America. More than 300,000 children took part in the Center’s study. Results: The Reading Program taught every single child to read in every single classroom, every single year, regardless of any child’s supposed reading readiness - including dyslexic, autistic, and even Down syndrome children. No failures then or in any of the many years that have followed. Despite the Program’s success, educational publishers refused to publish it. Their refusals will be explained and hopefully counteracted in a book that is scheduled to be published in 2026. In response to publishers’ refusal to make the program available, the Center made it available as a free download from its website. The Center also made its program available as 14 free iPad apps. While the apps can be searched for individually by their unique names, since the apps are interrelated and meant to complement one another, the first keyword assigned to all 14 apps was the same. That same keyword is still in its first position for every app. The first keyword listed for each of the 14 apps is the word “Dekodiphukan”. That meant-to-be hard-to-read search word has worked well every year since the apps were introduced. However, in June of this year, that search term could find only 1 of the 14 apps. We reported this problem to Apple Support on June 26th. It is now November, and the problem remains unresolved. The only response we receive each time we ask for an update on the resolution of this problem the answer every time is: Reported search issues of this type require extensive review by Apple to determine whether it is valid and to confirm the appropriate action. There is no other response. No update has ever been sent to us. There is no phone number I can find to call. It was suggested to me by someone I spoke with in a different department at Apple Developers that I post my problem on the Developer Forum, in hopes that someone here can provide a suggestion for a way around this problem. Parents and teachers wishing to use our Reading Program with their children should not have to enter 14 different names to access our Reading Program.

Can someone help me, every time I insert a new attribute in the Table, the Query stops working, the bank keeps giving these messages, thank you

We are experiencing a critical issue where VPP app installations are consistently taking an excessive amount of time, leading to significant delays in asset association. We are deployionThis is a systemic problem that affects all VPP apps, not just an isolated case. Apps: 39470db7-e475-4269-9709-c80641657027 => com.zimride.instant d0876900-2579-463e-99f1-b7c85ef5c5e8 com.microsoft.azureauthenticator Troubleshooting: We have performed extensive troubleshooting and can confirm the following: VPP Token: The VPP token has been successfully renewed and is currently active and valid. License Availability: We've verified that there are sufficient VPP licenses available for the apps being deployed. Device Status: We've attempted the following on the affected devices: Restarted the devices. Switched to different Wi-Fi networks. Uninstalled and re-installed the apps. App Status: The issue is not limited to a single app; all VPP apps are failing to install. License Revocation: We attempted to revoke and reassign licenses for some devices, but this did not resolve the issue. The app was not pushed, and the pending status remained. Troubleshooting: Through our internal investigation, we have determined that the core issue is that the Asset Association Status is consistently taking excessive time. This seems to be preventing the app installation queue from processing. We have observed a significant delay in the processing of events within the Notification Channel. The time between the event being created and a response being received is excessively long, indicating a potential backlog or issue. We have included a few recent examples below for your reference: Event ID: 39470db7-e475-4269-9709-c80641657027 com.zimride.instant Created Time: 2025-08-26 01:02:04 Response Time: 2025-08-26 01:34:05 Event ID: d0876900-2579-463e-99f1-b7c85ef5c5e8 com.microsoft.azureauthenticator Created Time: 2025-08-25 21:16:29 Response Time: 2025-08-25 22:21:07 We would appreciate your help in the following areas: Resolution: Could you provide any known solutions or workarounds for an asset association status that is taking excessive amount of time'? Best Practices: Are there any recommended best practices or additional parameters we should be checking with the MDM that might influence the queueing of VPP app assignments? Queueing Parameters: Could you provide insight into the parameters or conditions that can affect the queueing and processing of VPP app installations on Apple's servers? Please let us know if there is any additional information or logs we can provide.

Hi there, I am trying to create an IPsec policy for remote access for iOS devices. Is the full updated list with all the settings, which are supported? I could only find this article: https://support.apple.com/de-de/guide/deployment/depdf31db478/web But I am sure it's not updated: Authentication Algorithms: HMAC-MD5 or HMAC-SHA1. Same for DH Groups 2-5

We have a WebContentFilter that has an AllowList with a couple of domains and a DenyList that includes www.apple.com. This works on iOS18.x but doesn't work in iOS26 as www.apple.com can be reached. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/deployment/depc77c9609/web Indicates that .apple.com is always accessible but evidence seems to indicate this wasn't the case pre iOS26. An older version of this page https://web.archive.org/web/20220427202204/https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/deployment/depc77c9609/web has no mention of .apple.com although field names are also different. Has this change come about due to the filtering changes introduced in iOS26 and is there any way we can still block .apple.com going forward. Would a content plugin be an options ?

Why don't obtain equipment list (https://mdmenrollment.apple.com/server/devices) interface returns "device_family" contour information. This interface only returns some fields, and many field values are not returned

The profile expiration date is approaching, and no amount of inquiries will solve it. Create a new profile Download a new profile from Xcode Press archive, press Distribute App, press Enterprise, and distribute Invalid expiration date in profile of summary of review app.ipa content I've tried everything that comes out by Googleing profiles, such as regenerating profiles, erasing caches, updating Xcode, updating macOS, deleting existing profile information, etc. Expiration date different from the expiration date of the profile created in that menu is displayed. The expiration date of the profile I created is December 8, 2026, and the previous certificate is January 22, 2026. However, the profile information of the generated ipa is February 12, 2026. So I can't distribute this app because I'm scared, and the expiration date is coming up. Users should have a period of time to update. Get me a novice developer who's choking up.

Details: Device: iPhone 12 Pro Max System: iOS 26.1 beta 2 Issue Description: When testing MDM device restriction capabilities on iOS 26.1 beta 2, I found that the allowCamera restriction does not work as expected. Observed Behavior: • On a BYOD device: When allowCamera is set to false, the Camera and FaceTime apps disappear from the Home Screen, as expected. However, third-party apps (such as WeChat) can still access the camera and take photos. • On earlier versions (e.g. iOS 26.0.1): Setting allowCamera to false correctly blocks all apps, including third-party apps, from accessing the camera. Initially, I assumed Apple might have changed this restriction behavior so that allowCamera only applies to supervised devices. However, after testing on supervised devices, I found that even there, when allowCamera is set to false, the Camera and FaceTime apps are hidden, but third-party apps can still use the camera. This indicates that the restriction is not functioning correctly in iOS 26.1 beta 2. Expectation: When allowCamera is set to false, all camera access — including third-party apps — should be blocked. Request: Could someone from Apple’s development or MDM team confirm whether this is an expected behavior change or a potential bug in iOS 26.1 beta 2?

Hi, I am experiencing an issue with in-house apps on iOS 18. When the MDM profile is removed, newly installed in-house apps cannot be opened. However, previously installed in-house apps still work fine until the device is restarted. Context: Our in-house apps are not distributed via MDM but through an internal company app store. These apps are signed with an enterprise certificate and have been working fine on previous iOS versions. Steps to reproduce: Install an in-house app while the MDM profile is active -> The app works fine. Remove the MDM profile. Install a new in-house app (signed with the same enterprise certificate) The newly installed app does not open at all. The existing in-house apps installed before MDM removal continue to work normally. Restart the device. Now, even the previously installed in-house apps no longer open. Observed behavior: The newly installed in-house app does not open, and no trust prompt appears in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. The previously installed in-house apps continue to function normally until the device is restarted. After restarting, none of the in-house apps open anymore. Is there a now restriction in iOS 18 regarding in-house app installation after MDM removal? Any insights or solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Nuestra cuenta está aprobada como MDM Vendor y necesitamos emitir por primera vez el certificado APNs para MDM en el portal de Push Certificates. Procedimiento seguido Primero hemos descargado desde nuestra cuenta de Apple Developer el certificado de MDM Vendor y lo hemos instalado en el ordenador. Esto lo hemos hecho para que, al lanzar la instrucción de OpenSSL, se pueda utilizar el UUID gestionado por Apple y así generar el CSR de forma correcta. La instrucción que estamos ejecutando es la siguiente: openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout mdm_private.key -out mdm.csr -subj "/O=Numbux/OU=MDM/CN=com.apple.mgmt.External." El CSR resultante es puro (no está firmado ni empaquetado) y está generado con RSA 2048 y SHA256. Sin embargo, al subirlo al portal de Push Certificates, seguimos recibiendo el error “invalid signing request”. Solicitud Dado que es nuestra primera emisión, entendemos que necesitamos el External UUID asignado por Apple a nuestra organización, porque veo que el problema se deriva de una incorrecto UUID que se está generando en el comando OpenSSL. ¿Podríais confirmarnos cuál es ese valor para poder completar el CSR y así emitir correctamente el certificado APNs MDM? He llamado a los números 900 812 703 y al 900 812 468 y he escrito al soporte de developer. NADIE ES CAPAZ DE DARMELO. Sin el external UUID no puedo crear el APN para mi MDM. Alguien me puede ayudar? No me mandeis links ni posibles números que llamar porque ya lo he hecho.

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I am struggling to understand what our options are for app distribution for a new (to our company) use case. Note: we have both an Enterprise account as well as a standard App Store account. We are developing an Apple Vision app for a client company. We need to be able to distribute the app to people within our company as well as within the client company for testing. Once that is complete, we need to be able to distribute the app to a select group of employees in the client company. The client company does not have an MDM, so we originally thought to distribute the app using TestFlight. But that is not available with our Enterprise account. Is this something we can manage with a Business account since the devices involved would belong to our client company instead of ours? Is there a different solution to this workflow within the existing tools provided by Apple? Or is the only option to help the client set up an MDM/set up our own MDM to manage client devices for this?

During MDM Automated Device Enrollment of Apple TV, the web view defined by configuration_web_url is not working. We are using the web view to display the usage policy for all devices. While the web view functions correctly for other devices, it is resulting in an error specifically for Apple TV. Could you please clarify whether Apple plans to implement support for this feature on Apple TV in the future or if it will not be supported? Referring to configuration_web_url in: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/profile

Hello all, My question is, how to get APP (specialized in make SOPs for industrial users) that has already been listed outside of mainland China to be listed on apple store of mainland China? Can I simply refile it to cover China mainland with existing apple developer account or do I have to create a new local apple developer account to start the listing process? Your advise and help will be highly appreciated. Thank you, Link

I've account access level of developer. I want to create app specific password but go through the account but could not get any option to do so. Can somebody help me on this. Thanks in advance.

I am using system_profiler command to check on the installed application list from mac device. **Terminal command to check installed java version - ** But while running /usr/sbin/system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType -xml , I cant able to find Java as an installed application. Is this a known issue or do we have any alternative workaround to fetch the same?

Can I upload custom app onto the ABM? if yes then how can we install it into the user's devices?

I'm writing to point out a potential structural error in an example of the DeclarativeManagement command. This could cause significant confusion for developers implementing the MDM protocol. The standard structure for a server-to-device MDM command requires CommandUUID and the Command dictionary to be siblings under the top-level dictionary. The CommandUUID serves as a top-level identifier for the entire command envelope. This is the correct, expected structure: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>RequestType</key> <string>DeclarativeManagement</string> </dict> </dict> <key>CommandUUID</key> <string>0001_DeclarativeManagement</string> </dict> </plist> This is an example of the incorrect structure I've seen: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>CommandUUID</key> <string>0001_DeclarativeManagement</string> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>RequestType</key> <string>DeclarativeManagement</string> </dict> </dict> </dict> </plist>

I'm the IT Admin in my company. We use Microsoft Intune, which is a Mobile Device Management tool, to manage our devices and apps. I created an app protection policy, restricting the data can only be shared between the allowed apps. For example, if our user want to copy the content in Outlook for iOS to WeChat or personal memo, the action will be blocked. However, may be it's too strict, here is the scenario that we need to hadle: A user selected the content in the Outlook for iOS mail, and wanted to use the "translate" function to do translation. Before the app protection policy was deployed, he can do the translation successfully. And now, it's blocked. Therefore, we need to find a way to exempt the app "Translate" so that users can do the translation successfully. We put the value "com.apple.Translate"(this is a package ID listed in the official document of Apple) to the exemption, but it's not working. May I know what is the correct "value" for the iOS native Translate APP? I need to put this value to our app protection policy to exempt Translate app. Thank you so much.